ECW Eastern Championship Wrestling (August 24, 1993)

Original Airdate: August 24, 1993 (taped August 7)

 

From Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Your Host is Jay Sulli from the studio, with Eddie Gilbert hanging around and being a nuisance as well

 

Eddie Gilbert and Dark Patriot are ready to plow through the field and win the tag title

 

ECW Tag Team Title Tournament Quarterfinal Match: Eddie Gilbert and Dark Patriot v Tommy Cairo and JT Smith: Patriot and Cairo start, and Tommy gets the better of him with a series of armdrags, until Patriot bails. Tags all around, and Smith holds Gilbert in an armbar. Tag to Tommy to work the hold as well, so Freddie Gilbert trips Cairo up to turn the tide. That draws Sensational Sherri out to chase him away, but the damage is done, and the heels work Cairo over. Patriot dives with a flying shoulderblock on the floor, and then a flying axehandle out there for good measure. Patriot’s not a good worker, but he wasn’t shy when it came to taking risks, that’s for sure. Inside, they keep cutting the ring in half on Tommy, but Eddie misses an elbowdrop, and Smith gets the hot tag - Roseanne Barr the door! Paul E. Dangerously distracts the referee to allow Eddie to grab a chain, but he hits Patriot by accident, and Smith covers at 6:29. But then the referee spots the chain, and Cairo gets the blame for it, with the referee changing his call to a DQ win for the heels. Okay then. *

 

The Dangerous Alliance/Hot Stuff International introduce their newest member, one Shane Douglas. And he immediately starts an ECW tradition: saying bad things about WCW

 

$10,000 Handicap Match: Shane Douglas v Herve Renesto and Don E. Allen: Shane is putting the $10,000 ‘uncle Ted Turner’ gave him when he left WCW on the line here. Renesto and Allen try attacking, but Shane quickly fights them off, and puts it away with a belly-to-belly suplex at 0:29. DUD

 

The Super Destroyers ain’t afraid of no Suicide Smurfs. Um, that actually sounds pretty terrifying. Their voices also really don’t suit them. They sound like Borscht Belt comics rather than badass biker types

 

ECW Tag Team Title Tournament Quarterfinal Match: The Super Destroyers v The Suicide Blonds: Hunter Q. Robbins III shows up instead of the Blonds, and announces that he kept the Blonds away from the arena so that the Destroyers could win by forfeit, and this is his offering to them to take him back on as manager. And, to sweeten the deal, he’ll add $25,000 if they accept. Yeah, I’d insist on certified funds there, boys. Unfortunately, they refuse, and Hunter scurries to the back with his tail between his legs. This bootleg Demolition act is really hard to watch, particularly because of how half assed it is. Like, embrace the character or settle for being a jobber

 

Terry Funk v Canadian Wolfman: This is a replay from the July 27 episode. For a guy doing a 'wolfman' gimmick, this fat fuck is surprisingly hairless. And apparently we're doing a comedy match, as Funk does a bunch of teases and tricks, like slapping his fat belly, and making him run the ropes by himself after Terry stops short during a criss cross. Wolfman gets control by going to the eyes, but Funk quickly fights him off, and delivers an elbowsmash in the corner. Trio of bodyslams set up a legdrop for two, so Funk plasters him with some chops, and the spinning-toehold finishes at 3:14. DUD

 

Stan Hansen is very excited about getting to team with Funk for the first time in twenty years come UltraClash I. Wait, twenty years? How old is this guy?

 

Tito Santana is still celebrating his WWF Intercontinental title win over Don Muraco from 1984. And you thought it took him a long time to get over the Strike Force break up! Meanwhile, Don responds by taking it racial

 

ECW Title Match: Don Muraco v Tito Santana: Muraco tries attacking, but Tito fights off the blitz, and whips Freddie Gilbert into the champion for good measure. Muraco bails to the outside to do some stalling, and he manages to get Tito in a wristlock once back inside. He sinks his teeth into that for a good while, and he bashes the arm into the post to do more damage. Shoulderbreaker sets up an axehandle drop, but Tito backdrops his way out at a piledriver, and both guys collide for a double knockout spot. Santana recovers with a cradle, but they’re in the ropes, allowing Don a headbutt as they recover. Tombstone looks to finish, but Freddie has the referee distracted, and we don’t get a count. Don shouts at him, but stays focused with a swinging neckbreaker for the challenger - only to have Freddie tying up the referee again. This time Muraco slaps him around, but that allows Santana to recover, and he nails Don with a jumping forearm to grab the gold at 10:02. This felt straight out of 1984. ¾*

 

Paul E. Dangerously and Eddie Gilbert hype up the big tag match for UltraClash I

 

BUExperience: You know, I never realized Tito Santana had an ECW Title reign, so this one came as kind of a shock to me. It’s also interesting how much the roster is changing from washed up stars like Muraco, and never-beens like Sandman and Rockin’ Rebel, to people like Tito, Shane, and Sherri who were just involved in major angles on WWF or WCW TV mere weeks before.